Method of and apparatus for operating in a spinning or other room



W. B. WALKER METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING IN A SPINNING OR OTHER ROOM Filed Feb. 25, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR William E. Walker 7 Wag ORNEYB BY A W. B. WALKER June 4, 1935.

METHOD QF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING IN A SPINNING OR OTHER ROOM Filed Feb. 25, 1935 4 SheetsSheet 2 Lunnuun n r HHH H A. m Mm h nlllllllllllllllll I INVENTOR- William D. Walker TTORNEYS w. B. WALKER 2,003,911

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING IN A SPINNING OR OTHER ROOM June 4, 1935.

Filed Feb. 23, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 f ATTORNEYS INVENTOR tam 15. Val/fer w. B. WALKER 2,003,911

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING IN A SPINNING OR OTHER ROOM June 4, 1935.

Filed Feb. 23, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r m R. a B mm d l U Mm Patented June 4, 1935 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPERAT- ING IN A SPINNING OR OTHER BOOM William is. Walker, Roxboro, N. 0. Application February 23, 1933, Serial No. 657,971

% 'lClaims.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel and improved method of and apparatus for conditioning the air in a spinning or other work room.

Another object of my invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for conditioning the air in a spinning or other work room whereby more uniform and satisfactory results may be secured than has heretofore been possible.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for maintaining spinning frames and other machines free from dust and other fine particles, and for maintaining the atmosphere about the work at the proper relative humidity.

The several features of my invention, whereby the above mentioned and other objects may be attained, will be readily understood from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side view partly diagrammatical of a portion of an apparatus embodying features of my invention, in association with a spinning frame or other machine;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale and partly in section, of a portion of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing certain parts in a diflerent 30 position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, with certain parts in section, of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 'is a detail sectional view, partly in ,elevation, taken on the line l-l of Fig. 6; and 40 Fig. 8 is a diagrammaticalplan view of the apparatus shown in association wi spinning frames or other machines arranged in rows.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings is particularly adapted for use in spinning and other work rooms, and is shown in Fig. 8 as used in association with spinning frames 2 that are arranged in rows in-a room. The apparatus comprises devices 4 and 6 which are mounted on an endless track 8 that extends of machines. ,The device 4 is" provided with air directing means It for directing air downwardly over the spinning frames to maintain the frames and work free of dust and other fine particles, and a fan l2 arranged in proximity to the under side of the track for directing air upover the rows V wardly. The device 4 may be of the type of the one described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,781,142 dated November 11, 1930, and more specifically shown in the application of William J. Smith, Serial No. 329,421, filed December 31, 5 1928, to which patent and application reference may be had for a full and complete description of the same.

' The device 9 -is provided with a carriage i 4 which is suspended from flanged sheaves or 10 wheels I and I8 mounted on the track. The sheave or wheel i6 is adapted to be driven to propel the carriage along the track by an electric motor 20 mounted on the carriage. The connection between the sheave l6 and the shaft 22 of the motor comprises a bevel gear 24 secured on the sheave shaft 26 which is engaged by a bevel gear 28 on the upper end of a. shaft 30. The lower end of this shaft 30 has a gear 32 secured thereon which is engaged by a pinion 34 secured on the upper end of .the motor shaft 22. The motor 22 is adapted to be energized through trolleys '36 that engage trolley wires 38.

Mounted on the carriage I4 is a humidifying device which as shown, is of the centrifugal type. The humidifying device comprises spray generator disks 40 secured on the lower end of the motor shaft 22 and enclosed by a suitable casing 42 that is suspended from the carriage 14 by means of bracket rods 44. The upper portion of the casing 42 has anoutwardly pro- Jecting flange 46 over which extends the blades of a fan 48 secured to the motor shaft 22. Water is adapted-to be supplied to the generator disks '4. in the usual manner through a pipe 50, the lower end of which extends through an aperture in the casing 42 and is arranged to 'direct the water against the conical upper end of the hub 52 of the disks 40.

The pipe ii is connected with the outlet orifice 54 of a water tank 56 carried by the carriage M. This outlet orifice 54 is controlled by a valve 58 in the form of a rod which is mounted for vertical movement in a tubular guide 6ll secured to the water'tank 58 and the carriage l4. This valve 52 is pressed downwardly into closed position by means of a coiled spring 62 hearing on the upper end of the valve 58, the tension of which is adapted to be varied by means of an adjusting screw 04. The valve 5a is adapted to be raised to open the outlet orifice of the water tank by means of a jlever 66 having one end extending through a'slot in the valve rod 58 and its other end connected by a wire or cord 68 with a strand n of hydrowopic material. The

other end of this strand I0 is secured to the end of a cord I2 which is secured through a coiled spring. 14 and an adjusting screw 16 to the carriage I4.

The water tank 56 has portions 18 arranged transversely of the carriage and at opposite sides of the motor 20, and with a portion 80 extending longitudinally of the track having its top open.

With this construction, when the relative humidity of the room goes below a definite point, the valve 58 is opened by the contraction of the controlled strand I0, allowing water to fiow from the tank 56 and upon the spray generator disks 40. Water in the form of a spray is thrown off of the top disk of the generator against the casing 42. enough is drawn up by the fan 48 where the action is repeated, and a still finer spray or vapor is projected to all points of the compass into the surrounding atmosphere. Any water which is not broken up fine enough when thrown off the top disk 40, is deposited on the casing 42 and runs down onto the lower generator disk 40 where it is again thrown off in a fine spray.

This operation could be repeated within the casing 42 indefinitely until all the water .is used, but in order to remove any lint or fly that may be drawn into the casing 42, some of the water is allowed t escape from the lower portion of the casing 42. This surplus water runs into a trough 82 beneath the casing 42. This trough is provided with an outlet 84 which opens into a dump tank 86. This dump tank 86 is pivotally mounted at 88 and is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 90.

At a predetermined point in the travel of the device, the arm 80 engages the under inclined side of an angle iron 92 which causes the dump tank 86 to be gradually tipped so as to dump the water therefrom into a waste receptacle 94. 'As the arm of the dump tank 80 passes the end of the angle iron 82, the dump tank is permitted to return to its normal water-receiving position. The waste receptacle 94 is of sufficient length so that during the dumping operation the water from the trough 82 is free to How directly into the receptacle.

In the construction shown,- means is provided for replenishing the water tank 56 when the water therein drops below a certain level.

. To provide for this a float 86 is arranged in the tank on a lever that is pivoted on a pin 61.

This lever is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 88. When the level of the water in the tank drops below a predetermined level, the

end of the arm 88 is so positioned that when the device reaches a predetermined point in its travel it abuts against the end of any arm of a bell crank I00 which is pivotally mounted on an auxiliary carriage I02. This auxiliary carriage is provided with flanged wheels I04 which engage the top and bottom side ofrails I06 which are suitably supported adjacent the main track 8.

Upon engagement of the float arm 68 with one arm of the bell crank I00, the other arm of the bell crank opens a spring-pressed valve I08. This valve is at the lower end of a nozzle IIO that may be in communication through a flexible hose II2 with a source of water supply. Upon opening this valve I08, water is allowed to flow into the tank 56 until the water reaches a sufficient level to cause the float to move the arm 08 out of engagement with the bell crank I00. whereupon the valve I06 is closed by its The spray which is split up fine,

spring. In order to give sufficient time to insure proper filling of the tank, upon the arm 98 of the fioat engaging the bell crank I00 to open the valve, it pushes the auxiliary carriage I02 along with it on the tracks I06 until the water reaches the required level, and upon release of the arm 98 from the bell crank I00, a weight II4 connected by a cord II6 with the auxiliary carriage returns the carriage to its initial position, the return movement of the carriage being limited by the engagement thereof with a stop rod H8 secured between the tracks.

The replenishing of the water in the humidifier tank and the dumping out of the-waste water, may be effected at substantially the same point in the travel of the device. In order to steady the device during these operations, a roll I20, carried on the outer end of the shaft 26 of the driving wheel I6, rides on a short track I22 at one side of the main track.

The humidifier when used in connection with the cleaner 4,'preferably follows at a suitable distance behind the cleaner as shown in Fig. 1. When thus employed, the cleaner generates a downward air current into the work and the fan of the way faster than otherwise would be the case.

It will be apparent that my traveling humidifier, whether or not used in connection with the cleaner, has many advantages over the stationary humidifiers heretofore employed. With my traveling humidifier a more continuous cperation is possible because the vapor is continuously projected into different space and, consequently, a fewer number of heads are required, and the capacity of the individual head ,1

may be greater. With stationary humidifiers, air pockets of lower humidity occur between the heads, while with my traveling humidifier such pockets are'eliminated and there is an even distribution of moisture adjacent the work.

While the drawings show but one humidifying device used on a single track, it will be apparent that any desired number may be used on the same track or ,on separate tracks. Also,

to secure most satisfactory results it is preterable that the device travel in an endless path, but if desired it may travel back and forth over a row of machines.

The cleaner and humidifier may be driven by separate motors as indicated, or if desired they may be mechanically connected so that one pulls or pushes the other along. In the former case, suitable electrically controlled means may.

be provided for keeping the devices the proper distances apart. Any suitable means shown) such as a centrifugalswitch connected with the fan shaft and associated with a valve may be provided for shutting off the supply of water from the tank 56 to the humidifier disks when the apparatus comes to rest or the fan stops.

As will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

(not

What I claim is:

1. The method of conditioning air in a spinning or other work room which comprises creating a downwardly directed current of air, traversing the current of air about the room, and traversing a humidifying device in substantially the same path about the room at the rear of said current of air.

2. The method of operating in a spinning or other room in which the spinning frames or other machines are arranged in a row which comprises creating a downwardly directed current of air successively over the machines in the row, and traversing a humidifying device successively over the machines in association with said current of air.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, a carriage mounted to travel along the track, means for driving the carriage along the track, a tank carried by the carriage, a humidifying device carried by the carriage, means for supplying water from the tank to the humidifying device, a source of Water supply, a valve adapted to be opened to allow water to flow from said source of supply, said source of supply being arranged independently of the carriage and in position so'that when the tank reaches a predetermined point in its travel and said valve is open the Water may flow from said source of supply into the tank, and means for opening said valve at said predetermined point in the travel of said carriage.

l 4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, a carriage mounted to travel along the track, means for driving the carriage along the track, a tank carried by the carriage, a humidifying device carried by the carriage, means for supplying water from the tank to the humidifying device, a source of water supply comprising a valve-controlled outlet, and means for opening said outlet at a predetermined point in the travel of the carriage, and for maintaining it open for an interval of time, said outlet and said tank being so arranged that during the time said outlet is open water is cause'd'to flow therefrom into the tank.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, a carriage mounted to travel along the track, means for driving the carriage along the track, a tank carried by the carriage, a humidifying device carried by the carriage, means for conducting water from the tank to the humidifying device, a second carriage mounted to travel with the first-mentioned carriage, a source of supply having a valve-controlled outlet, means acting automatically when the supply of water in the tank drops below a predetermined level and when said carriage reaches said predetermined position to open said valve-controlled outlet to cause the water therefrom to fiow into the tank and for causing its carriage to travel along with the first-mentioned carriage until the water in the tank reaches a predetermined level; and means acting automatically to then close the valve and to return the second-mentioned carriage to its initial position.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, a carriage mounted to travel along the track, means for driving the carriage along the track, a humidifying device carried by the carriage, means for supplying water to the humidifying device, a receptacle located below the humidifying device for receiving excess water therefrom, and means acting automatically at a predetermined point in the travel of the carriage for discharging the water from said receptacle.

7. The method of operating in a spinning or other room in which the spinning frames of other machines are arranged in a row, which comprises traversing a humidifying device sue cessively over the machines in the row, and traversing a downwardly directed current of air successively over the machines in proximity to said humidifying device so as to tend to cause the moisture from the humidifying device to be directed into the work.

WILLIAM B. WALKER. 

